Setting up an activity for your child doesn't need to be complex or elaborate, by any means. And you certainly don't have to go out and buy anything special. Oftentimes, the best activities are ones that make use of the materials you already have on hand.
And that's the case for this muffin tin geoboard activity.
This quick and easy DIY geoboard makes for a simple fine motor activity for toddlers and preschoolers. There's zero prep for you, but tons of fun for the kids. And you likely already have everything you need right in your home.
What You Need for this Muffin Tin & Rubber Band Geoboard
I came up with this idea while brushing my hair and I'm still not really sure what sparked the idea. However, it turned out awesome. Plus, it only uses two materials! We used:
- Muffin tins - I used two regular 6 cup tins (one for each kid) and one 24 mini muffin tin. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
- Rubber bands in various sizes and colors
Then I set out everything on a short table (ahem...I flipped our plastic sensory bin container upside down to create the table) for my boys. Like so:
This Muffin Tin Geoboard is Great for Working on Fine Motor Skills
This geoboard activity ended up being perfect for four year old J. He easily managed to put the rubber bands onto the bottom of the muffin tins.
On the other hand, two year old K needed assistance with this part. He found it really tricky to hold the rubber bands open while sliding it onto the muffin tin.
However, K did find the 24 mini muffin tin easier than the 6 cup muffin tin. So be sure to experiment and see what works best for your kids.
After a bit of independent exploration, both boys worked together to turn the big muffin tin into a geoboard, creating patterns, shapes, and even some letters (of course because #hyperlexia) with the rubber bands.
This activity required literally no prep on my part, but it turned out to be a fantastic fine motor exercise for both of my boys. Talk about simple play for the win! YAY!
This muffin tin geoboard activity is part of the Everyday Fine Motor Materials from A to Z series hosted by Still Playing School. You can see other posts in this series here.
